Completed - ARABIC - Comedy, Drama - 90 minutes
Arzé, a single mother, takes her teenage son on a journey across sectarian Beirut in search of their stolen scooter, their only source of livelihood.
Year of production : 2023 Director(s) : Mira SHAIB Writer(s) : Faissal SHAIB, Louay KHRAISH Cast : Diamand ABOU ABBOUD, Betty TAOUTEL, Bilal HAMWI Producer(s) : Zeina BADRAN (SPOTLESS MIND FILMS), Louay KHRAISH, Faissal SHAIB, Aly AL ARABI (Ambient Light)
Arzé, a single mother, is determined to buy her son a used scooter so he can help her deliver the mouth-watering pies she bakes, her only source of income. To make this happen, she steals and pawns her sister's bracelet–which may or may not have been a good idea. But alas, the scooter is stolen! And when the police are useless–it’s Lebanon after all–Arzé takes matters into her own hands and drags her reluctant son all over Beirut in search of the missing scooter. Arzé and her son quickly find themselves embroiled in a long journey full of twists and turns as they navigate the sectarianism and chaos of Beirut. To blend in with each neighborhood they visit, Arzé gets creative and puts on a whole disguise. She's a chameleon, changing her accent, donning a hijab or a Christian cross, and even giving Kinan a new name. She’ll do anything to find the scooter. The quest is long and frustrating. As tensions rise and family secrets are revealed, finding the scooter is at stake and so is the unity of Arzé’s family.
Country(ies) : LEBANON, EGYPT, SAUDI ARABIA Financing plan : Ambient Light (Egypt)Red Sea Film Festival (KSA) Start of shooting : August 2022
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Cairo IFF 2023 (Official Competition)